Family is Only a Text Away
by AlwaysWatchingCastle
Summary: Ryan ends one of his longest friendships and is hurting. Esposito, Beckett and Castle go to his apartment to comfort him and find out what happened...


**A/N:** Just wanted to give a quick thank you to everyone who read my first story and for all the positive feedback I received. I had never planned for this to be my second story but it came to me as I experienced a similar situation with a friend recently. I particularly chose Ryan for this and I hope that was the right decision. When it comes to the part about college, I wasn't too sure about any mentions on the show so I just went with creative freedom. Again, I would love to hear your feedback/reviews and hope I do not disappoint.

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Kevin Ryan just ended one of his best friendships and feels like his entire world just fell apart.

He's currently curled up on the floor of his apartment, thankful that his wife and kids are traveling for the weekend and enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, he is on the verge of tears and questioning how much it would hurt if he just started punching the wall in front of him.

It was a conversation he was dreading but knew needed to happen. The rest of the day had really been a blur, everyone at the precinct noticed and were concerned but decided to give him space until he was ready to talk. He barely said a word the entire day.

The ride home was stressful. All kinds of fears and doubts were racing through his mind as if he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. But then he started thinking about why he was ending his toxic friendship and that's when he remembered all the anger and sadness he had been put through recently. That fired him up again and finally convinced him once and for all that he was, in fact, making the right decision.

Ryan met Brendan during his freshman year at college. Brendan was a sophomore and although the two lived in the same dorm suite, they never had much interaction. Ryan assumed the rules that applied on the school bus in high school also applied to college, meaning freshman don't talk or try to hang out with the older kids.

One time, Brendan heard Ryan and his roommate screaming so he went to check on them. Ryan won a local radio contest and they were giving him a shout-out. Brendan congratulated him and shared who his favorite host from that show was. Out of fear, Ryan sort of brushed Brendan off and gave him a quick response.

They didn't talk again until about a week later when a big group of kids from their floor were all hanging out in the hallway one night. Everyone was asking each other questions about themselves but Ryan and Brendan thought it would be more fun to make a game out of it. They decided on "would you rather" and soon everyone was playing along with them.

After a few hours, everyone was ready for bed. Ryan and Brendan headed back to their suite, talking and laughing as if they were old pals. They continued to talk, as they were getting ready for bed. It was about 2 A.M but neither guy was really tired and since Brendan had his own room, he offered Ryan to sit and talk for a while longer. They ended up talking the entire night and discovered they shared many of the same interests. Ryan was so blown away he asked Brendan where he had been all of his life and Brendan responded with a big laugh. Eventually, they did have to end their conversation because Brendan had to leave for work. Ryan apologized but Brendan insisted it was fine. They ended up talking through the next night too.

That was the start of their friendship. Looking back, Ryan doesn't regret anything from that time because he can still remember how great it was. At that point, he thought he knew everything he needed to know about Brendan. In fact, in his mind, they were already best friends. Little did he know, there was much more he was about to discover about Brendan that would eventually lead to their friendship's demise…

Suddenly, Ryan heard a knock at his front door. Slowly, he got up off the floor and rubbed his eyes before opening the door. Esposito, Beckett and Castle walked in.

"Hey guys."

Esposito speaks up first. "Hey bro. We got your text."

"And I saw all your passive aggressive Tweets! That last one was intense," Castle adds.

Beckett attempts to hide her chuckle but eventually regains her look of concern for Ryan.

"How'd things go with Brendan?"

Ryan takes a deep breath and rubs his nose before speaking.

"Well, I just had my first bromance breakup."

"Aw, look at Ryan trying to make a little joke through the pain. Good for you bro," Esposito responds.

Ryan can't help but turn around and break down in tears. He feels safe now that he's not alone. Castle puts his hand on Ryan's shoulder as Esposito and Beckett look on with heartbreak. They all knew Ryan was a bit more sensitive and open with his emotions but they have never seen him like this before.

"Brendan was one of my longest friends! We survived college together, shared our first apartment together, went on trips together, he was even a groomsmen in my wedding damnit and now we're through!"

Castle can't help but ask, "what did he do this time?"

"It's not just this time. He expects me to be there for him and clean up his messes when things are bad but he refuses to fix his behavior. I've barely seen or heard from him since he started hanging out with some old friends from high school as an excuse to go out drinking every weekend."

"So he got smashed the other night he was texting you?"

"No Javi but he joked about getting smashed. That's what he always does. Except this time he just broke up with his girlfriend and hasn't been coping well. So I told him not to go out. He got mad, said I didn't know anything about him or his friends and should stop acting like a parent because he knows how to take care of himself."

Esposito became noticeably angry as Ryan explained what Brendan said to him. Beckett gives him a look, which forces him to calm down.

"After that I stopped talking to him for a few days. Wanted to clear my head and think about what I was going to say to him. This wasn't a decision I made today, I've thought about it for awhile."

Beckett asks, "What did he say when you told him?"

"Just that he never meant the things he said that night. Then he said when he gets back into town he'll come visit and finally meet Sarah Grace and Nicholas. I told him not to bother."

A collective sigh is shared among the group. Everyone stays quiet for a few minutes before Castle decides to speak up.

"Well Ryan, don't forget you still have us as your friends."

Esposito corrects him "Uh, no we're not his friends."

Castle quickly covers Ryan's ears while Beckett turns to give Esposito her signature death stare. Esposito clears his throat and steps in front of Ryan before continuing.

"We're family."

Castle drops his hands from Ryan's ears and everyone shares a laugh with Esposito as he goes to give Ryan a hug. Then he acknowledges Beckett and Castle.

"C'mon mom and dad, get in on this family hug!"

Beckett and Castle huddle around Ryan and Esposito so they can join in.

No matter what struggles they ever have to go through individually, they could always be sure their family would be there for them.


End file.
